


Advent 17

by darksquall, lanapanda



Series: Science Boys Advent 2012 [10]
Category: Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, The Avengers (2012)
Genre: #advent2012, #adventfic, #fluff, #fluff fluff fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-22
Updated: 2012-12-22
Packaged: 2017-11-22 01:41:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/604423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darksquall/pseuds/darksquall, https://archiveofourown.org/users/lanapanda/pseuds/lanapanda
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The annual Stark Industries christmas charity party rolls around. Iron Man's fans get to see him up close and in person.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Advent 17

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: The characters and places contained herein do not belong to me and I am making no money from this.

Stark Industries had been giving back to the community for decades -- it was one of the few traditions his father had left that Tony had kept up without question. Tony had been personally involved for several of the previous few years, but Bruce had only been around to see one of them.

Part of him had always wanted a family. Part of him had looked back at his own childhood and wondered why the hell he’d want to risk having a family after his own father had beaten him black and blue for years and then later blamed his own abusive father for every hand he’d laid on Bruce and his mother. The other guy had taken away any chance he had of having that family anyway. Too dangerous – his DNA was unstable and there was every chance that any resulting child would be just like him, or worse.

Having Tony as a lover, and soon as a husband, meant that he didn’t have to worry about such things. At least not without an outside medical intervention or adoption. 

Regardless, Bruce found himself in Tony’s workshop helping Tony wrap the suit in tiny Christmas lights – red, yellow and green, interestingly enough - in a manner that wouldn’t prevent him from getting into or out of the suit in a hurry as Tony explained the day’s events. “The kids are less interested in seeing Tony Stark, versus Iron Man.”

“As long as I get to go home with Tony Stark.”

“The suit and I are one,” Tony winked at him over the shoulder of the suit. It had been… well, not deactivated, but all the projectile weaponry had been removed already and would be replaced when Tony set the suit back into its storage facility after the event. The hand repulsors had been turned down to a level that they just gave a little nudge in order to facilitate the events Tony had planned – they could be turned up to the usual settings from the HUD commands if Tony deemed it necessary, or if there happened to be an attack while the event was going on. The suit was as safe around kids as it could be. Really even if everything was still turned up to 11 as it usually was, Bruce would have trusted Tony around anyone, but he understood the concerns and reluctance of some of the adults involved.

“I seem to remember only fucking one of you last night,” Bruce tapped the handle of the screwdriver he was holding on his chin thoughtfully.

“The suit was there in spirit,” Tony grinned at him again. “Now help me get these lights hooked up.”

Hanging the lights was the hardest part really. The suit didn’t offer many purchase points that wouldn’t be required to open and close afterwards in order to let Tony actually use the suit, so they’d had to adhere micro hooks onto the surface to have somewhere to hang the wires. Perhaps if Bruce had been tasked with doing this a year before, then patching them into the electronics in order to let Tony control them, and into the energy supply for the suit to power them might have been more difficult. But he’d had another whole year of learning Tony’s little quirks and tricks and habits when it came to designing and wiring and it was much easier than he’d predicted.

“So, what do I have to do to bribe you into being a part of the little show that goes with this?” Tony asked softly, soldering a contact point into the wiring loom. He finished it up, set the soldering iron down in the stand and surveyed his work critically.

“Just me, or the other guy?”

“You,” Tony glanced up at him, surprised. “I wouldn’t ask you to go through the changing and coming back over something like this.”

Of course he wouldn’t. Tony knew how hard it was, how much it hurt to go through that shift, to feel his muscles contort and stretch and worse, he knew how much it hurt to come back. How exhausted Bruce was, how much every inch of skin burned and his limbs felt like lead. He’d been there to comfort Bruce through a dozen or more transformations in the last year alone and Tony had been at his side for every single one of them. He knew the pain and had seen it first hand and he wouldn’t ask for such a frivolous reason.

At least partly because he knew Bruce would go ahead and do it if Tony wanted him to.

“What did you have in mind?”

“You leading a small army of kids, many of whom will be dressed up like Iron Man, to defeat a few hired goblins thereby bringing peace and good cheer and massive swag… er… presents to Stark Tower for the kids to take home. They get to rescue me, and you help give the presents out at the end.”

It sounded pretty similar to the previous year’s events when Tony put it like that. Nothing too strenuous or dangerous, and a good excuse to get away from work and the stress of last minute wedding plans for a while. “You’re nuts, and I love you.”

“More nuts than the first time we ended up wrestling in the den?” Tony gave him a wicked little grin, all mischief and impishness. Sometimes he was so much the naughty kid and Bruce loved every minute of it. Loved getting a chance to have fun like he hadn’t for years. “That was pretty fun.”

“Hm…” Bruce considered it. Bruce had joked about something that escaped him for that moment and they’d ended up wrestling right on the floor of the den. There had been tickling too. In a world where people were afraid to even touch him, knowing that Tony trusted him and believed his control to be good enough to risk so much with him meant a lot more than he had words for. “Yeah, more nuts. At least then I’d changed relatively recently so I was less likely to hulk out.”

“Wasn’t ever worried. And, for the record,” Tony leaned over just enough to reach around the suit and tickle Bruce’s side, just in the spot where he was most sensitive. “Hearing you squeak to try to cover how ticklish you are is completely worth any risk to me.”

Bruce couldn’t stop himself from squeaking again. He jerked away from Tony’s hand, just managing to avoid scratching up the paint work on the suit with the screwdriver he was holding. Safely out of Tony’s reach, he fixed his lover with a teasing glare. “Oh you are so getting it when we’re done.”

“Oh really?” Tony said, setting another strand of lights into place and tying them off. “Is that a threat, doctor?”

He sized Tony up. Although Tony was focused on the lights and the task at hand, his body language and the way his gaze kept flickering up to check on Bruce said something very different. It almost screamed ‘ready to pounce’. “Christmas Iron Man now, slightly kinky sex later, Mr. Stark.”

“Define ‘slightly kinky’,” Tony requested. Bruce decided that in this case there was a better option than a verbal response, so he simply moved around the suit and swatted Tony on his ass with the flat of his hand. More for sound and sensation than any actual pain. Tony’s eyes went wide in surprise and shock and he got back to work with a greater level of focus than he’d had all day.

“Good definition?”

“Oh yeah,” Tony nodded, a little flushed and breathless. He finally turned the last hook into place and set the tools that he’d been using to one side. “Okay, so… I should probably go over the staging with you. It’s going to be a lot like last year but without the robots.”

“Okay,” Bruce nodded. “I think I remember everything from last time.”

Tony ran him through the plan quickly. The kids would finish their tours, meet Iron Man and just as he was about to start dishing out presents, they would all be attacked by evil goblins – stuntmen and actors hired for the occasion – and the kids would split into groups with an adult to supervise while they used a goblin detector to track the bad guys. Then from there, back to the main hall with the liberated presents to watch Iron Man take down the goblin’s boss. Very similar to the previous year at least when it came to the overarching theme. “You were so cute watching from upstairs. I thought you might want to play this year.”

Bruce was all too keenly aware of how little some people trusted him and his ability to keep his alter ego under wraps. However, the Hulk loved kids more than he did. He trusted children over almost any adult. “You did warn their caretakers that I’d be involved, right?”

“Yes sir,” Tony nodded. “They also have the option of not doing the running around. Notified the stunt guys too.”

“Thank you,” Bruce smiled warmly at his lover.

“You’re welcome. I think this is going to be fun,” Tony smiled and finally powered up the lights to test the connections. They blinked off and on in a nice slow pattern. Bruce had been expecting that but the mental image did not live up to the picture before him, the highly polished surface of the suit picking up the light and scattering it across the paintwork beautifully.

“Hopefully we won’t have any real monster attacking while those are still hooked up.”

“If we do, Iron Man will provide a very festive ass kicking,” Tony stepped back to admire his work fully, offering Bruce one arm in invitation.

Bruce closed the panel and went to Tony’s side to join him. It certainly looked festive, and Bruce liked it oddly. He’d always admired the engineering and science that went into Tony’s work. He had a flair for the artistic and the beautiful, and that was evident in every piece he made. Whether it was a suit the reactors or any of the other dozens of items he’d invented over the years. “We’ll have to make up a festive song.”

“A festive, ass-kicking song?”

“Only appropriate, given the festive suit for festive ass-kicking.”

Tony squeezed him tight and kissed his temple. “You really are full of mischief, aren’t you? I’ll let you pick the soundtrack for the suit.”

“Maybe a little,” Bruce murmured, closing his eyes and tipping his head to encourage more kisses. He loved the little things, the tender little signs of affection and the gentleness that always accompanied them. It hadn’t been like that in the beginning; it had taken them time to find a way to be so gentle with each other. Two broken men finding a way to put the pieces of each other back together. “But it’s only because you let me be.”

“Mmm… It’s selfishness. You have this wicked sense of humor that most people never get to see. Also, you are very good at pranks and I have to make sure you stay on my side,” Tony trailed more little kisses all along the line of Bruce’s jaw and down his exposed neck to his tee shirt. No suits today – one of Tony’s edicts. Bruce understood. Suits meant official, and often came with bad memories for the kids so suits were banned entirely from Stark Tower for the day. “We should go set up downstairs. Can’t disappoint the kids.”

“You know I need to be with people I can trust to let some things out. I’ve always trusted you,” Bruce turned his head just enough to press a kiss against Tony’s hair and nuzzle against him contentedly. He’d always known where he stood with Tony, he’d never had to hide or look away from the first day he’d decided to stay. “You’ll have to stop kissing me if you want to go.”

“I trust you too, Bruce. Always,” Tony gave him the wicked little grin again. “But I have to get in at least three more kisses before I suit up.”

Bruce tipped Tony’s head towards him gentle, covering Tony’s mouth with his own in a tender, needy little kiss. He let Tony fill his senses, the faint scratch of Tony’s beard on his skin, the soft sound of Tony’s pleasure in his ears and the smell of that mulled cider aftershave all making him almost feel light headed. “One kiss, and I know, Tony. I’m very thankful for that.”

“Even when I yell at lawyers, like an asshole? Two,” Tony leaned closer, kissing him again and pulling Bruce to face him instead as they kissed. Allowing them to get closer – not always a good idea when they needed to be somewhere soon – to hold each other.

It was harder to pull away this time. Bruce struggled to urge himself to break the kiss and look up into Tony’s deep brown eyes. “You were standing up for me,” he murmured softly. Still a rare thing, he could count the number of people who’d stood up for him on one hand.

“And you let me. You have no idea how great that feels,” Tony smiled, brushing his thumb across Bruce’s lower lip gently.

“You’ll probably get the chance again before this year is out. Especially at the press conference.”

“I think Pep is going to restrict the press that get access down to a handful. Partly because she knows if any of them say the wrong thing I will make up new swear words on the spot,” Tony’s voice was soft, his most reassuring tone. It was the same tone he used when Bruce was coming back from a transformation and Bruce couldn’t help but shiver at it. “They do not get to ruin our wedding announcement.”

“How about we don’t check the news until well after our wedding night?” Bruce suggested, taking Tony’s hand and squeezing it gently. He knew that he wasn’t the only one who needed the little reassurances and hope that the gentle statements and promises could bring.

“After the press conference, I’m unplugging completely. Rhodey’s taking over Iron Man duty until we get back from our honeymoon.”

Bruce smiled, his free hand settling at the small of Tony’s back. Tony rarely stood still for this long; it was good to just be able to hold him. “Still have the New Year’s party though,” he said, softly. He doubted that, even with Tony and Pepper’s best efforts, they would be able to get through that event without someone managing to find their way in and make a comment. Not to him, of course, never to him because they were still scared of what he could do if he were angry. But they’d do it to Tony. They didn’t care how fragile his heart was.

“That I will be attending as a host with my husband, and will not be taking any bullshit from the press at the time,” Tony said firmly. He was determined not to let anyone tarnish what they had. That made Bruce smile.

It also made him dip Tony like a hero dips the heroine in the movies and kiss him deeply. When he came up for air again, Tony was laughing breathlessly, one hand tangled in Bruce’s hair as if he might never let go. Bruce smiled at him. “You think of everything, love. And that was three – you need to suit up before I get carried away.”

Tony grinned as Bruce set him back on his feet. “Mm, yes, I’d better.” The event for the kids was the only thing that Tony had ever really let distract him fully from Bruce. Perhaps even the only thing that Tony had ever held in esteem so high that he’d never been able to even think of suggesting that they put it aside or delay it. The tree however had not fared so well – it was still only half decorated.

Reluctantly, Bruce let go of his lover and pulled away, heading for the door. “See you in a while, Iron Man.”

“Can’t wait for you to rescue me, Doctor Banner.”

Bruce left Tony’s office and went down to join the kids. He took a couple of groups on the pre-arranged tour as he had the previous year before the fun began, answering questions from inquisitive children, as well as a few from the adults. Most of the kids were between the ages of five and nine, most of them were wearing at least parts of the kid’s versions of Iron Man’s outfit. Officially licensed, probably provided to them by the company too. Or rather, provided by Tony’s money in the name of the company. No one knew that everything was entirely funded for the day by Tony Stark’s personal accounts aside from a few key players in the organisation.

Finally Bruce led his group back to the hall just in time for Iron Man to fly through one of the open windows, carrying several very large bags of presents. The lights were flashing in time to the Christmas music that was playing over the speakers when he arrived and ironman landed in the middle of the kids to a lot of cheering. “Looks like we’ve got a lot of superheroes here today, which is awesome, since these presents are marked Official Superheroes Only. Who wants to help me pass out the presents?”

Of course that was the moment that the goblins attacked. The largest of the goblins jumped Iron Man and was flown out of the window – and unbeknownst to the kids, into another window behind the stage at the far corner of the presentation room so they could prepare for their final battle – and smaller goblins stole the bags of presents and disappeared through doors around the room to a lot of screaming and squealing.

Bruce took over ordering people into splitting up into groups and handing out official Stark Industries Goblin Seekers – or SIGS for short. He happened to end up with six kids, two girls, and four boys. The eldest was a girl, about eight with Iron Man gloves. The smallest was a boy who could have barely been five. His Iron Man mask was a little too big for him; he had to keep lifting it up to be sure of which way he was going.

He crouched down to show them how to use the tracking device and then gave it over to one of the elder boys, letting the kids find their way to the nearest goblin. Really the SIGS would only find one goblin each to make it fair on the kids, and one of them soon spotted the Goblin that they’d been looking for hiding behind a desk in one of the offices that had been selected and monitored for the job. The goblin ran, they gave chase and vanquished him with the kid’s Iron Man weapons.

Bruce celebrated their win right along with them. He was just about to suggest going back to the presentation hall when an announcement came over the coms from Iron Man himself requesting back up from all the children, so with a bag of presents slung over one shoulder, and the tiny kid – Billy, his name was Billy and he had very large green eyes behind that Iron Man mask – perched on his other hip, he led the children back to the main hall just in time for the final battle.

The layout had changed while they’d been gone, little consoles and stations set up around the room for the children to control and help Iron Man trap and damage the goblin king so he could finally take him down. It was an epic battle, the kind of thing that the kids would be talking about for years. Finally the Goblin King was vanquished, just like all his minions had been, and Bruce joined in with the cheering enthusiastically.

He looked at Billy with a smile. “I think I need to go help Iron Man with the presents now, okay?”

“Okay Mr. Bruce. Thank you for helping us catch the bad guys,” he beamed and gave Bruce as tight a hug as he could manage before he allowed himself to be set down.

Bruce picked his way through the energetic kids jumping and still cheering, taking the bag of presents with him. Several other Stark Industries employees were doing much the same, bringing the gifts to the stage for Iron Man to dole out.

“Nice work, sir,” Bruce grinned at the familiar face of Iron Man. The screens hid Tony’s eyes from his view, but he knew them well enough to imagine them.

“Couldn’t have done it without all the help. You were pretty amazing out there, doctor.”

“All I did was help the kids,” Bruce blushed and started opening the first bag of presents.

“Coordinating a mission this large takes skill. I think you’re all great,” Even with the suit distorting Tony’s voice, Bruce could hear the grin in his lover’s voice. He took the first present that Bruce offered and checked the name. “Steven Davies?” he looked around and the kid came rushing up to collect his gift.

Little did the children know that their letters to Santa had been collected a couple of weeks earlier and their gifts matched to their requests where they could be. And still, all out of Tony’s own money.

The presents were given out, the food – lots and lots of pizza, burgers and other entirely unhealthy things because after all it was Christmas, and the adults involved had agreed that the kids needed a little spoiling – eaten and the photographs both with Iron Man and his alter ego, Tony Stark taken, Billy caught Bruce’s hand as he was talking with Tony and tugged it.

Bruce excused himself and knelt down to talk to the little boy while his lover chatted to some of the older kids who wanted autographs. “Hey Billy. Are you doing okay?”

“Yeah,” he nodded. The Iron Man mask slipped down over his face again and he grumbled to himself, taking it off. “Um… Are you dating Iron Man?” he asked in a whisper, as though it were absolutely vital he had that information.

“Who told you that?” Bruce asked curiously.

“No one, but you keep smiling at each other and going all red. My uncles do that too.”

Bruce glanced from the boy over to Tony and back again. “Can you keep a secret until Christmas? It’s very important you not tell anyone.”

“I’m good at secrets,” Billy nodded enthusiastically.

“Yes, Tony is my boyfriend.”

“Oh wow,” Billy exclaimed, then remembered he was supposed to keep it a secret and quieted again. “So… you’ll help keep him safe from the bad guys all the time?”

“Yes,” Bruce smiled. Even if he said something, no one could believe the kid and it was nice to at least be able to admit it. “Even present stealing goblins.”

“Okay. And you guys can call me if you need help too,” he smiled brightly.

“I’ll remember.”

With that, there was just time for one last hug and then it was time for them to leave, along with their presents, cookies and little bells for their Christmas trees. No one would know until a few weeks later why they were red, green and gold. Iron Man waved them off, coming back to meet Bruce in the hall as soon as the last bus had left. “Well,” he said, the visor of the suit coming up to allow him to grin at Bruce properly. “That was a lot of fun.”

“It was,” Bruce agreed, looking over the mess that was already being cleaned up by the hired help. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had fun like that. “I think we need to get you out of that suit again, though.” He didn’t say why he wanted Tony out of the suit. After speaking with Billy, after spending time with all the kids, Bruce just wanted to wrap his arms around his lover and hold him, as though he never had to let go again.

“Sure,” Tony laughed, gesturing for Bruce to follow him and leading him towards the door. “In my office?”

“Sounds good.”

Tony led the way there, keeping the visor up and nodding greetings and thanks to anyone they passed. Bruce could read the tension in Tony’s features as he held the office door open, and true enough to form, the second the door was shut and they were alone again, Tony caught Bruce gently and pulled him close to kiss him. Hungrily, desperately and longingly. Like he’d been waiting for that for several years, not several hours.

“Mm, I love you,” Bruce murmured against Tony’s lips, leaning back to admire him and the suit. The lights were still flashing and if Bruce wasn’t mistaken, to the beat of jingle bells.

“I love you too, Bruce. I hope you had fun today.”

“Loved every minute. I hope I’m still your biggest fan, though.”

“I hope so too,” Tony let go long enough to slip out of the suit, turning off the lights as he did so. He set the autopilot, allowing JARVIS to take over and take it back to the balcony above them for resupplying and returning to its full strength. The only things JARVIS wouldn’t be able to take care of were the lovely strings of Christmas lights that still adorned it, but they’d get to that when they could. “Since I’m still your biggest fan,” Tony said as he stretched. The suit was incredible but still a reasonably wearing experience to remain in, and it was worse to change in and out of several times.

“Thank you,” Bruce could feel his cheeks burning with a blush.

“You’re welcome. Now, why is it you needed me out of the suit, hmm?”

He’d honestly thought Tony would never ask. Bruce wrapped both arms around Tony and held him close and tight. He’d been trusted, he’d been listened to and wanted and he’d had fun. He’d hardly wanted to let the kids go home at the end of it all. “Because I really needed to do this.”

“What did I do to deserve this?” Tony asked, one arm hugging Bruce and one hand tangling fondly in his hair. “Not that I’m complaining.”

“What didn’t you do to deserve it?” Bruce replied softly. Tony had given him everything. A home, trust, companionship and above all Love. Without question or demand or anything else. Just love.

“Well, when you put it that way,” Tony wrapped both arms around Bruce, lifting him an inch or two off the floor and hugging him back tightly. Just to enjoy the contact and the affection.

Bruce laughed. “Seventeen days.”

“Yes, and tomorrow we stay in. All. Day.”

“In bed, in the shower…” Bruce murmured suggestively. Tony groaned huskily, apparently enchanted by the idea of those recommendations already. He leaned Bruce against the office wall and kissed him hungrily. “Maybe we should go and… warm up.” 

“Private elevator?” Tony suggested.

“Right now,” Bruce agreed.


End file.
